NAVVNEET DUBEY
Jammu: Despite generating 2.79 lakh e-challans through ITMS in Jammu and Srinagar from January to July 2026, authorities could realise only Rs 1.23 crore— barely 4% of Rs 30.70 crore in penalties exposing huge gap between violation detection and penalty recovery. According to figures presented at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on traffic management, the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) generated 1,75,384 challans involving Rs 20.20 crore in Jammu, of which 11,467 were disposed of and Rs 1.04 crore realised. In Srinagar, 1,04,311 challans involving Rs 10.50 crore were generated, but only 3,210 were disposed of, yielding Rs 19 lakh.
The figures were presented at a meeting of the Multi-Disciplinary Committee on Traffic Management, which reviewed measures to tackle congestion, improve urban mobility and strengthen road safety in the twin cities.
The Transport Department informed the committee that registration certificates of 68,000 vehicles had been cancelled over repeated violations. The department also reported measures relating to the Road Accident Victim Fund and implementation of the PM-RAHAT scheme, which is intended to ensure timely medical treatment for road accident victims.
Against Rs 18.14 crore allocated under road safety funds since 2021, Rs 13.83 crore has been spent on traffic-monitoring and enforcement equipment. The procurement includes 560 iron traffic barricades, 685 body-worn cameras, 1,000 night safety belts, 19 interceptor vehicles, 16 high-patrol vehicles, 23 cranes, 36 breath-alcohol analysers and 100 first-responder kits, besides ambulances.
A GeM contract and supply order have also been issued for 30 containerised traffic booths at a cost of Rs 103.50 lakh, with prototype preparation under way. The Public Works Department informed the meeting that metal beam crash barriers had been completed along a 13-kilometre stretch of National Highway-44 in Jammu on May 7, 2025, and along a 31-kilometre stretch in Kashmir to improve road safety and lane management
Dulloo directed the concerned departments to improve coordination and ensure the effective implementation of recommendations made by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (SCCoRS). He asked the Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations to conduct regular inspections of traffic signage and assess whether signs were adequate at different locations. The respective divisional commissioners were asked to monitor the process and ensure that identified deficiencies were addressed promptly.
The Chief Secretary also directed the Traffic Department to analyse data available on the electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) portal to identify accident-prone locations and periods of heightened risk. Deployment of traffic personnel, he said, should be aligned with identified accident hotspots and blackspots to improve enforcement and reduce road accidents.
He called for a proposal to strengthen the Transport Department’s capacity to conduct comprehensive safety audits of heavy passenger vehicles across Jammu and Kashmir, with particular emphasis on school buses. On parking management, Dulloo stressed the need to identify additional on-street parking spaces and develop organised parking facilities to address congestion caused by unregulated parking. He also called for upgrading the existing ITMS in both cities to incorporate facial recognition capabilities to strengthen enforcement.
The meeting was informed that 17 roadside parking sites had been identified in Jammu, of which three were functional and seven had been allotted to vendors. In Srinagar, an IT-based Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system was monitoring 300 parking spaces in key commercial areas, including M A Road, Lal Chowk, Residency Road, Jhelum Riverfront and Karan Nagar.
Four vending-zone sites are operational in Jammu at Roop Nagar, Talab Tillo, Shakti Nagar and Narwal, behind Wave Mall. In Srinagar, vending spaces at Magarmal Bagh, Batamaloo and Nishat are functional, while additional vending zones are being developed in other districts. No-honking zones have also been mapped at 29 major institutional locations in Jammu and 12 in Srinagar.
